Transparent packaging with imprint applied after closing

ABSTRACT

A package for small electronic articles and the like comprises forward and rear sections formed of transparent sheet plastic. The edges of the sections are joined and sealed to secure the article in the package. An imprinted display card is secured to the rear wall of the rear section by tabs arrayed about the rear wall so that the printing on the forward side of the card, which is not blocked by the article, is visible through the front of the package.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationSer. No. 60/576,900 filed Jun. 3, 2004, which is incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to transparent packaging for small devices suchas electronic components formed of a pair of sections which may beseparate or joined by an integral hinge. The two sections may beconstructed of a transparent sheet plastic shaped by vacuum forming or alike process, or may be partially opaque with matching transparentwindows. At least one of the sections has a recess for retaining theproduct and the product may be inserted into that section while thesections are in an open position. The other section is then joined tothe first section to seal the package and may be secured by adhesives,heat sealing, a hinge and snap fit arrangement, or other suitable means.In the prior art an imprinted display card is secured within the packagebefore closure so as to be visible through the front of the closedpackage.

This type of packaging which is formed with a hinge is known as aclamshell because of the provision of two sections hinged relative toone another.

Often a distributor may order large quantities of products packaged insuch containers for sale through a number of retailers, each of whichrequires a separate imprinted display card. In the past it has beennecessary to package these different inserts at the point of insertionof the product and closing the package.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It would be desirable to purchase these closed packages with theinserted product, without the display cards, and insert the imprintedcards at an intermediate distribution point. This would allow the use ofimprints conforming to the area of distribution in terms of retailer'sidentification, languages, warranties, etc. The present invention isdirected toward a packaging construction which enables this type ofoperation. In essence, the package of the present invention is formed ina two-step operation. In the first step the product is inserted into thepackaging and the unit is closed and sealed. It is then shipped to anintermediate distribution point, where a display card, printed on bothsides with the necessary promotional information, is attached to theexterior of the rear wall of the package so that one side of the card isvisible through the front of the package and the other side is visibleon the rear. This imprinted product insert is secured to the outer sideof the rear wall of the clamshell packaging, preferably by means ofinserting the card under undercut tabs which extend inwardly from theopposed rear walls of the outer side of the rear of the packaging so asto engage the opposed edges of the imprinted card. A clear adhesive maybe coated on the outer side of the container or the abutting side of thecard before the two are joined to securely retain the card in place onthe outer wall of the rear side of the clamshell packaging. In this wayit is unnecessary to open the sealed packaging at the distribution pointwhere the imprinted cards are joined to the packaging. The packages maybe filled and sealed at an initial manufacturing point, withoutimprinted cards, and then appropriate imprinted cards may be laterjoined to the units without opening the packaging.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clamshell package in open form;

FIG. 2 is a rear view, from the outer side, of the back of a clamshellpackaging section formed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view through one of the tabs for retaining theimprinted product identification card on the rear of the outer side ofthe clamshell packaging, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view of the rear of one of the imprinted productidentification cards suitable for use with the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a view of the front of a closed package formed in accordancewith the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the present invention is applicable to packaging in which thefront and back are formed separately, or alternatively to integrallyhinged containers (clamshell packages), a preferred embodiment employs aclamshell container. Referring to FIG. 1, a clamshell pack formed inaccordance with the present invention generally consists of a frontsection 10 and a rear section 12 joined by an integral plastic hinge 14.The two sections 10 and 12, and the integral hinge 14, are formed ofclear sheet plastic such as polycarbonate shaped by vacuum forming. Thefront section 10 has a peripheral edge 16 which is capable of matingwith a peripheral edge 18 formed on the inner side of the rear member 12to close the package. The two may be joined together by adhesives, sonicwelding, or some combination thereof. The forward section 10 includes arecess 20 for retaining a product to be secured in the package. Afterthe product is disposed in the recess 20, the rear section 12 is foldedagainst the front section and the package is sealed.

The outer side of the back member 12 is preferably formed with spacedrecessed clips 22 along its inner edges. In the preferred embodimentillustrated there are six of these clips, two on each elongated side ofthe back and one at each of the ends. The detailed configuration of aclip member is illustrated in FIG. 3. The rear surface of the backmember 12 is indicated at 24, with an extreme edge at 26. Each clip 22extends outwardly from the backing member to form a section 28 whichincludes a recessed portion 30 that is adapted to receive an edge of animprinted backing card 32. The rear side of the card 34 is illustratedin FIG. 4. The card 32 is preferably rectangular and has a height andwidth which allow it to fit flat against the outer side 24 of the back12, with its edges retained within all of the recesses 30 of the tabs22. The backing card 32 is preferably imprinted on both sides. The card32 is inserted into abutment with the rear side of the back 24. Theportions of the forward side of card 32, which are not blocked by thepackaged article, are then visible from the forward side of thecompleted package, while the entire rear side of the imprinted card isvisible from the rear side.

A clear adhesive may be coated on either of the surfaces of theimprinted card or the backing member 24 which contact one another toretain the card in position under the clips 22.

In this manner an article to be packaged in the clamshell packaging maybe inserted in one facility, the clamshell package may be closed andsealed, and shipped to another distribution facility, where imprintedcards of suitable configuration may be secured to the back of variousclamshells for distributional purposes.

The same system may be employed with packages formed of two, unjoinedsections. In alternative embodiments of the invention, sections of thepackaging may be imprinted so as to be opaque, leaving only atransparent window in the front section through which a portion of theimprint on the side of the card 32 abutting the rear section 24 may beseen from the front.

1. A method of packaging and distributing articles in transparent sheetplastic containers having forward and rear sections which may be joinedto secure the articles therein comprising: securing said articles insuch containers and sealing the pairs of sections at a first facility;and transmitting the closed and sealed containers to a plurality ofsecond facilities where imprinted cards are secured to the outer side ofthe rear section of each closed container, the imprinted cards beingprinted on both sides so that those portions of the forward side notblocked by the article are visible through the forward side of thecontainer and the rear side is visible from the rear side of thecontainer.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the imprinted cards aresecured to the rear of the containers by means of clips which projectinwardly from spaced points along the edges of the periphery of the rearsection of the container.
 3. The method of claim 1 in which the forwardand rear sections are joined at edges by an integrally formed hingesection.
 4. The method of claim 1 in which the imprinted cards securedto certain of the closed containers are imprinted differently from cardssecured to other of the containers.
 5. The method of claim 1 in whichthe container sections are formed by vacuum forming.
 6. The method ofclaim 1 in which the container sections are composed of polycarbonate.7. The method of claim 1 in which at least a portion of one of thecontainer sections is imprinted, leaving a clear window through whichthe imprinting on the secured card is visible.
 8. A package for anarticle, comprising: a container comprising a forward section formed oftransparent sheet plastic having a cavity formed on its rear side forreception of said article and a rear section formed of transparent sheetplastic adapted to have its forward side secured to the rear side ofsaid forward section to secure said article in the container, said rearhaving a flat, central section on its rear wall; and a flat cardimprinted on both sides, retained against the flat, central section ofthe rear wall of said rear section so that those portions of the forwardside of the card not blocked by the article are visible through theforward side of the container and the rear side of the card is visiblefrom the rear side of the container.
 9. The package of claim 8 whereinthe rear side of the rear section of the container is formed with clipson its periphery which project inwardly from spaced points to secure theimprinted card against the rear side.
 10. The package of claim 8 whereinthe imprinted card is adhered to the central, flat section of the rearside of the rear section of the container.
 11. The package of claim 9wherein both the rear and forward sections of the package arerectangular, the imprinted card is rectangular, and the height and widthof the imprinted card is such that it fits within the area defined bythe clips.
 12. The package of claim 8 wherein the forward and rearsections of the container are joined to one another by an integral hingeformed at complementary edges of the sections.
 13. The package of claim12 wherein the forward and rear sections of the package and the integralhinge are formed by a vacuum forming process.
 14. A package for anarticle comprising: a container formed of a rectangular forward sectionof a transparent polycarbonate plastic, formed with a cavity on its rearside for reception of said article, and a rectangular rear section of atransparent polycarbonate plastic having a central, flat section on itsback side surrounded by a series of inwardly projecting clips, theforward and rear sections being joined at complementary edges by anintegrally formed hinge section so that the forward and rear sectionsmay be positioned in an open arrangement to allow insertion or removalof said article in the cavity on the rear side of the forward section,or a closed arrangement to secure said article in the container; and aflat card, imprinted on at least its forward side, having dimensionscomplementary to the area defined by said clips, retained with itsforward side against the central, flat section on the rear of the rearsection of the container with the edges of the card retained by theclips so that the printing on the forward side of the card which is notblocked by the article is visible on the forward side of the container,through the rear and forward sections of the container.
 15. The packageof claim 14 in which the clips are arranged about all four sides of arectangular area and the imprinted card is rectangular with dimensionscomplementary to the area defined by the clips.